Ukraine military chaplain: Preaching hope to a world at war on Good Friday

Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

When reflecting on the life, death and resurrection of the Lord while living in a state of military invasion and active war, Andriy Zelinskyy, S.J., says that “everything becomes more authentic.” For this Jesuit priest, who serves as the chief military chaplain of the Ukrainian-Greek Catholic Church, the task of preaching to those suffering in Ukraine, “from the trenches to the President,” has brought the challenge and promise of preaching hope on Good Friday into stark relief.

To authentically preach the hope of the resurrection in such dire circumstances, preachers must first find hope themselves. “It begins with your search for hope,” Andriy shares with “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. “And this is already a result of your search for sense, to find God in everything that’s happening around you.”

Andriy tries not to rely too much on certain techniques to communicate God’s message. Instead, he actively searches for God in his experience. “I’m not against the techniques,” he says. “They’re important, but in their due time. When you are in front of a living human being, please be a living human and be in the here and now.”

Listen to Andriy’s homily and his conversation with Ricardo to hear how he sustains himself to preach hope amid war. They discuss the common humanity that allows Andriy to preach to people of all stripes and how his experience informs his preaching.

Read the Scripture readings for Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

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